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Trump and the Early Warning Signs of Fascism

How dangerous is President Trump? We know he is very narcissistic, emotionally immature, impulsive, bombastic, pugnacious, dishonest, and corrupt. He expresses admiration for foreign strongmen and surrounds himself with people equally committed to money and winning at any cost. But that is not all.

The United States Holocaust Museum displays a sign describing the Early Warning Signs of Fascism. Let’s see how President Trump’s words and actions fit the signs of fascism.

Early Warning Signs of Fascism

* Powerful and continuing nationalism
“Make America great again.”
“America first.”
“We will follow two simple rules: Buy American and hire American.”
“We will no longer surrender this country or its people to the false song of globalism.”

* Disdain for human rights
Trump has mocked and vilified immigrants, women, Mexicans, the disabled, and has opposed Roe v Wade.
He did not attend the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
He withdrew guidelines for transgender use of bathrooms.
He expanded detention, arrest & deportation of immigrants.
He reinstated & broadened the gag rule on international abortion services.
He advocates expanded use of torture.
He opposes closing Guantanamo.

* Supremacy of the military
“Why can’t we use nuclear weapons?”
“But I’m good at war. I’ve had a lot of wars of my own. I’m really good at war. I love war in a certain way. But only when we win.”
His budget includes largest increase in military funding in US history.

* Rampant sexism
“I’ve always said, If you need Viagra, you’re probably with the wrong girl.”
“All of the women on The Apprentice flirted with me – consciously or unconsciously. That’s to be expected.”
On bursting into Miss Universe pageant dressing rooms, “I sorta get away with things like that.”
“I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.”
About Carly Fiorino: “Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?”
To debate moderator Megyn Kelly: “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her . . . wherever.”
“You know, it really doesn’t matter what the media write as long as you’ve got a young, and beautiful, piece of ass.”

* Controlled mass media
“As you know, I have a running war with the media. They are among the most dishonest human beings on Earth.”
Trump said the nation’s news media “is the enemy of the American people.”
“As far as BuzzFeed, which is a failing pile of garbage, writing it, I think they’re going to suffer the consequences. They already are.”
At a White House press conference: “Go ahead. Go ahead. No, not you. Not you. Your organization’s terrible. . . . I am not going to give you a question. You are fake news.”
“. . . the press honestly is out of control. The level of dishonesty is out of control.”

* Obsession with national security
“Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.”
“I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.”
His budget calls for much greater funds for national defense at the expense of all other public services.

* Religion and government intertwined
“I am very, very proud to say that I am pro-life.”
“For evangelicals, for the Christians, for the everybody, for everybody of religion, this will be, may be, the most important election that our country has ever had.”

* Labor power suppressed
His budget slashes the Dept of Labor.
Trump has a history of breaking labor laws, and he appointed another anti-union member to the Labor Relations Board.
His pick for Secretary of Labor is anti-labor.

* Disdain for intellectuals and the arts
His budget slashed money for PBS, NPR, National Endowment for Arts, National Endowment for Humanities, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, Meals on Wheels, and school lunch programs for low-income children.

* Obsession with crime and punishment
On women who have abortions, “There has to be some form of punishment, you go back to a position like they had where they would perhaps go to illegal places, but we have to ban it.”
“There may be somebody with tomatoes in the audience. If you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them, would you? Seriously. Okay? Just knock the hell — I promise you, I will pay for the legal fees.”

* Rampant cronyism and corruption
Trump refuses to release his personal tax records.
He refuses to divest from his personal investments.
He involves his children in government positions.
He surrounds himself with business & corporate allies.
He proposes tax changes that favor him and his family.
He has investments in the oil pipeline he approved.

* Fraudulent elections
There was Russian involvement that clearly favored Trump in the presidential election, and his campaign connections with Russia are yet to be fully determined.
Trump diverts attention from actual election problems with phony voter fraud accusations.

There are more examples, but I think the warning signs are clear. Don’t you?